A Tale of Swords and Magic
by Kammie Celeek
Summary: In a world where All For One is determined to cast humanity into darkness, Izuku Midoriya inherited One For All from his father, Toshinori. With a small band of allies, he sets out on a quest to ensure light will remain in the realm.
1. Prologue

Our story begins six years ago.

So much of our story is wrapped up in that time frame that it only seems appropriate to begin there. All of the fateful events that set it in motion happened on one day. Just one day. And yet to many, it was just a normal day.

For others, it was a day that changed everything they knew.

In a small village called Dagobah, a baby girl was born to a single mother who already had a son—and that son is the hero of our story. He held his baby sister for the first time and silently vowed to protect her always, no matter the cost. Their mother smiled, glad that he appeared to not be bothered by his inability to wield magic any longer.

Not too far away, a young prince and princess—twins of the royal family—embraced one final time before the sister was forced away. Their father led her to a small group of so-called 'savages', one of whom was the heir to his small yet powerful tribe and was to be the girl's husband when they came of age. The prince promised that he would see her again someday, no matter if their father forbade it.

A young witch came into her powers, though they caused her to become ill if she overused them. No matter; her parents supported her as she began to hone her abilities to become a true user of the powers she'd inherited. Her pure heart allowed her to use them in ways forbidden to others.

There was the noble son who was accepted as a knight by the very royal family that had just sent their youngest daughter off to marry a future tribal chief. He was determined to bring great honor to his family by following in his older brother's footsteps and showed no mercy to those who shirked the law.

And the final players in our story—perhaps the most consequential—were the former hero and the villain. They battled in the forest near Dagobah, where they were both gravely injured. As the villain faded, the former hero looked to the very cottage where the baby girl had been born. He could see the boy who would succeed him, holding the newborn close and rocking her gently.

_My son… take care of your sister until it's time for you to take my place._

_ I'll be waiting._

And that day, six years ago, marked so much. The birth of Miharu Midoriya. The vow of Izuku Midoriya. The official betrothal of Katsuki Bakugo and Princess Kazumi Todoroki. The promise of Prince Shoto Todoroki. The power of Ochaco Uraraka. The knighthood of Tenya Iida. And above all, the final battle between the hero All-Might and the world's enemy, All For One. The sword from the battle, the legendary blade One For All, stayed with Toshinori Yagi as he waited for his son Izuku to come of age to claim it for himself.

And that, my friends, is how our story begins…

But how will it end?

* * *

**I think this is the shortest chapter I've ever written for this fandom. It barely cracks two pages and five hundred words. But this is just a prologue. All of this will come into play.**

** OCs are involved but not too major characters. They'll play roles but not as major heroes.**

** So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	2. A Beginning

** Just like with "Antihero" and "Family is a Six-Letter Word", I will be replying to comments!**

** To emiya-excalibur (one of my most loyal readers for this fandom): I have not played D&D. I own the game but I have yet to play it because nobody will play it with me. As for ages, this story takes a couple months after Izuku's sixteenth birthday. You can probably guess everyone else's ages based on that.**

** And to drboohm: Thank you. I hope you enjoy this chapter, too.**

** Onward!**

* * *

That morning had started like any other.

Izuku had risen before the sun as he always did, his mother and sister rising with him to begin the day. Inko made breakfast for her children and Miharu played with her doll—a tiny thing made of cloth scraps that Izuku had sewn together for her that was her most prized possession—while Izuku prepared to head out to market with whatever herbs they'd grown in their little hothouse garden in the back and milk and eggs from their livestock. As usual, Miharu insisted on going with him.

She was only six years old, but she was as stubborn as a girl three times her age.

He ended up capitulating when Miharu gave him her best sad-eyed look but reminded her to stay with him at all times, especially near the forest. All the locals knew to avoid it and the Midoriyas were no exception. Though why they lived so close to it was a question that Inko avoided answering at all costs.

All Izuku knew was that his father had disappeared into the forest when he was a baby and returned briefly when he was nine, though he had few memories of the event. The forest had claimed the man again soon after from what Izuku could tell.

Anyway, the two walked down the path towards the market, Miharu skipping along behind her brother and humming a rhyme she'd undoubtedly learned from some of the other local children. The market itself was already starting to bustle despite the early hour, which was normal in and of itself. But it was the kinds of people who were at the market that day that tipped Izuku off that… no. No, today was not going to be normal, not one bit.

For one thing, he could spot a few members of the infamous Crepitus clan talking to the various merchants who had set up shop. These were the people who were led by a boy only months older than Izuku himself—a boy who, by all accounts, was a remarkably good leader when his wife-to-be was by his side. But that didn't make the members of the clan any less terrifying to Izuku, who'd also heard tales of the clan's ruthlessness and ability to bring entire kingdoms to their collective knees despite their relatively low numbers.

He made a mental note to reinforce the doors and windows at home.

As he walked onward, he could hear the rumor-mongering women that seemed to take up some kind of residence at every marketplace talking in hushed tones.

_"There's a witch in town?"_

_ "Oh, I bet she'll set up a shop! I'd love to get my hands on a love potion for my daughter."_

_ "She doesn't do that kind of magic, from what I hear."_

Izuku sighed. He hated the way rumors flew in Dagobah; it was a small village that just happened to have a notable and prosperous market. Nobody could hide anything when they lived in Dagobah.

"I'm gonna go play with Eri and Kota now!" announced Miharu.

"All right, but don't go too far. I'll be heading home at noon. Meet me at the fountain?"

"Okay!" She ran off towards a little girl with silver hair and a boy with dark hair, both of whom looked excited to see her.

Izuku went back to his task of selling his herbs and the eggs (the milk had been sold early) before he proceeded to buy bread and cloth that his mother had asked him to gather before he'd left the cottage. That done, he decided to head to the fountain early and wait for Miharu.

"Oof!"

Somebody bumped into him after coming out of the inn and he felt himself falling before their arm stuck out and kept him from hitting the ground.

"Sorry!" the person—a girl—said. He opened his eyes (he'd shut them to brace himself) and suddenly realized that he was face-to-face with a girl he'd never seen before.

She had brown hair that barely brushed her shoulders and vibrant chocolate-colored eyes that he found himself staring into. Her rosy cheeks seemed to glow as she gave him a gentle smile and he found himself unable to speak as he gazed at her.

_She's beautiful…!_

"Sorry, again!" she told him, setting him upright. "I really should watch where I'm going."

"No, no! I-it was my fault! Trust me, I'm a klutz!'

_Izuku, you are sixteen. You should be freaking able to talk to girls._

"So, you're not from around here, are you?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Well, considering how high the sun is in the sky and that all the locals are early-risers… yeah."

"How long have you been here?"

"Since sunrise."

"_Sunrise_?!"

"In Dagobah, we get up early."

"Oh. Okay."

They both shuffled awkwardly.

"Well, I'm gonna… go," the girl stated. "See you, local boy!"

She left and he realized he didn't even know her name.

_Stupid!_

He silently berated himself until he got to the fountain, where Miharu joined him when the sun was at its peak in the sky. Then the Midoriya kids headed towards home. Miharu stayed near her brother until something in the forest caught her eye. Out of curiosity, she ran into the trees, her sudden movement catching her older brother off-guard and he froze for just a moment before running after her.

"Micchan!" he called, his feet pounding the ground. He'd already lost sight of his little sister.

The forest was dark due to how dense the leaves above him were. He kept going, calling out Miharu's name as he went, until he found her talking to a woman with black hair. The woman was wearing armor and had a sword sheathed on her belt, with a small mole under her mouth on the right side.

"…and then there's Zuku—" Miharu cut off her own statement upon hearing his footsteps and turned to see him. "There he is now! Zuku, this is Nana Shimura! She's super nice!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Shimura." Izuku bowed politely. "My name is Izuku Midoriya. You've… already met Miharu."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet the two of you as well." Something in the woman's tone told Izuku she'd been _expecting_ them. "You'd better be heading home. These woods are no place for children."

"In all fairness, I'm sixteen years old, ma'am. Miharu is six."

"Ah." Nana smiled. "So you're of the age to be a soldier, are you?"

"Yes, but I'm not going to do that. I need to be here."

Nana's eyes bore into him and he felt like she was searching his soul before she broke contact and reached into a satchel on her belt. She wrote something down and handed it to him.

"Don't read it until you return home. And this…" She handed a small, smooth purple rock to Miharu. "This will allow you to leave the woods safely. Don't lose it, all right?"

"Yes, Lady Shimura!" Miharu squealed.

The two started to head for home, but Izuku turned around to look one last time.

Nana was gone.

* * *

_Take the purple stone I gave to Miharu and travel through the woods to the base of Mount Tattooin just after sundown. Somebody has been waiting for you for a long time. You will find him at the base._

Izuku read and reread the instructions Nana had given him.

The stone, it turned out, was magic and a travel stone. They were used in dense areas to ensure travel went smoothly and the holder didn't get lost. It made sense why Nana had given it to them, though where she'd disappeared to was still a mystery.

He'd decided to follow her instructions after discussing it with his mother, who insisted that Nana had actually been a spirit of some kind. And ignoring messages from spirits was usually a bad idea, especially if they were the spirits of deceased knights like Nana appeared to be.

The forest at night was even more eerie than it was during the day. That was what everyone in Dagobah said. It was because those who went into the woods and stayed too long would lose their way and become spirits of it themselves. More than likely that was what had happened to Nana. As for who would be waiting for Izuku at the base of the mountain, he had no idea. Nobody outside the village knew who he was. And his father was more than likely one of those claimed by the forest.

_I really hope this isn't some plan to kill me…_

He suddenly smelled something. It was faint, but familiar. Smoke. There was a fire somewhere nearby, near the base of the mountain. He picked up speed and found a roaring campfire with a cooking pot on top of it. A man in a cloak sat by the fire, a wooden walking stick leaning against the rocks behind him.

"Um… excuse me?"

The man looked up and Izuku got a look at his face. He was gaunt with golden hair and electric-blue eyes that conveyed a strength his body didn't. Somehow, Izuku knew this guy could do serious damage in a fight despite his frailty. Izuku gulped and internally worked up the courage to speak.

"Hello, Izuku," the man stated.

"Wait, how do you know my name?"

"Simple. I've been waiting for you."

"That's exactly what Lady Shimura's note said." The man looked confused.

"Lady Shimura?" He shook his head. "Nah, she's been dead for a while."

"So Mom was right—she _was_ a spirit. She told me to come here to meet you, I guess." Izuku tilted his head. "Who… who are you?"

"Nowadays, I go by my given name—Toshinori. But up until six years ago, I went by other titles. The True Knight. The Symbol of Peace. The Hero. Sir All-Might."

"S-sir… A-All-Might?!"

Sir All-Might. The Hero. The man who was said to have defeated the enemy of the world and disappeared the night Miharu was born. Everyone said his injuries had been too severe and that he'd died from his wounds after inflicting the same amount of damage on his opponent.

"Yeah, Sir All-Might."

"B-but that still doesn't explain why you've been waiting for me or how you know my name!"

"That's something that's important for you to know." Toshinori moved his cloak and lifted the edge of his tattered shirt to reveal a severe scar. "I was injured in my fight against All For One, like the rumors say. It didn't kill me, but it was still extremely bad. I can't be the hero I once was anymore. I needed somebody else to take up One For All."

"And you picked me? Why? I'm just a normal kid."

"You're far from a normal kid, Izuku. You're strong, and you have a sense of justice that's rare in this world. You can't stomach injustices and you want to make the world a better place. And your courage is unmatched. Of course, that's to be expected."

"Why?"

"Because, Izuku, you're my son."

Silence.

"WHAT?! How can I… my father had fire magic! That's what Mom always said."

"Inko's a good woman. She's kept my secret all these years, especially once I decided that you'd be the one to inherit my power. I saw you the day your sister was born—the last time I saw you before now. I could tell I'd chosen correctly in who I'd picked as my heir."

"You want me… to be your heir?"

"There's no 'want' about it. You _are_ my heir." Toshinori stood up, still tall despite his frail frame. "You are the next wielder of One For All."

"Where's the sword, then?" Clearly, Izuku was accepting his new role.

"See, that's where things get complicated. It was stolen in the aftermath of that fight, by a small-time thief who didn't realize what he'd taken. Last I heard, it was out in the badlands. In Crepitus territory."

And there was the other thing about the Crepitus clan—more often than not, they had a reputation for being thieves as well as ruthless. If the sword was out there, then Izuku had a long journey ahead of him.

"I can't just leave Mom and Miharu, though…"

"I can stay with them. I'm tired, son, and I want to spend as much time as I can with my wife and daughter before it's my time to go."

"So you aren't coming with me."

"No, but you can't go alone. Find people you can trust, people with skills you lack, to go with you."

Izuku took a deep breath and nodded.

"I'll do my best, Dad."

* * *

"Are you sure he can do this?"

"He's our son, Inko. I'm sure he can take whatever the world throws at him. He won't go down easily."

They watched as their son finished packing his bag and pulled on his boots the next morning. Miharu was silent as she observed her older brother preparing to leave. She'd been quiet since Toshinori and Izuku had arrived back at the cottage the night before and just watched the goings-on from the side.

"I'll make you both proud," Izuku promised his parents. "I love you, Mom. And you too, Miharu."

"Zuku, wait." He looked at his little sister as she came up to him and held out her doll. "Take Hana with you. She'll keep you safe while you're traveling."

"Micchan, I can't take Hana." He knelt so they were at eye-level. "She's yours. I made her for you."

"But that's how I know she'll keep you safe. You made her. I have Mama and Papa to protect me while you're gone." She smiled. "You can just give her back when you come home."

He took the doll from her hands and his eyes teared up as he hugged Miharu.

"I'm going to miss you, Micchan."

"I'm gonna miss you, too, Zuku."

Izuku sighed and stood, heading for the door and leaving the only home he'd ever known. As he headed down the path towards town and the outside world, he turned around to look at the cottage one last time. His parents and Miharu were waving goodbye to him, all three smiling and he could tell they were hoping he'd come back to them alive.

Well, he would.

He'd finish what his father started years ago.

* * *

**So slightly longer chapter. It moved a little faster than I would've liked, but I wanted to get to the actual plot.**

**As a side note, I'm currently writing a college AU one-shot that I think some of you might enjoy!**

** So long and thanks for all the fish!**


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